Dutch companies hired more than 13,500 asylum seekers and documented migrants to work, according to several news reports. A recent study also shows that non-EU immigrants have produced the largest increase in employment, though their numbers are still lagging compared to that of natives and EU-born immigrants.
Tent Netherlands Coalition: Permanent and Temporary Positions Contracted
The Tent Nederland, founded only last year, formed from the Tent Partnership for Refugees, made up of a global network of over 500 large companies, dedicated to helping displaced people. Tent Nederland is bringing employers from 51 companies together with refugees, among other activities to aid their employment.
Those affiliated with Tent Nederland taking part in the effort, including Philips, Arcadis, IKEA, Marriott International, Randstad, ABN AMRO, Kraft Heinz, Unilever, and Vebego, hoped to reduce staff shortages. According to the coalition’s data, refugees and asylum seekers various positions in logistics, hospitality, facility services, and technology.
Hélène van Melle, director of Tent Nederland, companies have been able to reach refugees and, since a change of law in 2023 allowed them to work full-time, asylum seekers. “The initial results are positive. Companies are very satisfied with these new employees. They are loyal, motivated, and eager to get to work. Absenteeism among this group is very low, and it is a solution to the tight labor market,” she told NU.nl.
Hotel chain Mariott have also joined after positive experiences with Ukrainian refugees. Since then, they have organized meetings to connect Tent Nederland with status holders, and hired two Syrian refugees themselves. “It was difficult to reach this group of people. But we will certainly continue with this,” General Manager Claudia van der Graaf of the Rotterdam Marriott Hotel explained.
Cabinet Plans to Increase by 75,000 by End of 2030
The Dutch Cabinet hopes to up these numbers even further; they aim to achieve 60% of newcomers to be employed in full-time jobs five years after they are granted status. This would amount to an increase of 75,000 status holders compared to this year.
The plan causes concern in some areas. A recent study by Argos and Cobouw surveyed 20 municipalities regarding their distribution centers, a frequent workplace for migrants. In the coming years, they planned 800,000 square meters of additional logistics space to be built. Prior research suggests half of the jobs created will be filled by migrants, with projections suggesting the sector will rely on 1.2 million migrant workers by 2030.
However, these expansions do not take housing into consideration, prompting the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations to start preparing for legislation to give municipalities more control over migrant housing. This would also include having to provide housing arrangements prior to employment.
Vinzenz Ziesemer from the Institute for Public Economics said housing is a missing factor in decision-making. “If you build a distribution center, you also have to think about housing,” he said. “Companies benefit from the influx of migrant workers, but the costs fall on society.”
Employment of Non-EU Immigrants on the Rise
Despite the potential pitfalls, CReAM FRBerlin’s latest report from July 2026 shows that employment rates have gone up in recent years both in the Netherlands and the EU at large.
The employment rates of immigrants The starkest improvement was the non-EU immigrants whose rates grew from 59.4% in 207 to 66% in 2025, though they remain under EU-immigrants and natives.
The report highlights that there is also room for improvement; markedly in the employment of non-EU immigrant women and streamlining certification procedures to remove barriers for all potential employees.
